Stormy Embrace Dazzles in G2 Princess Rooney

by Gulfstream Park Press Release

June 30, 2018

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Matalona Thoroughbreds’ Stormy Embrace grabbed an early lead that she would only lengthen through the stretch run of Saturday’s $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2) at Gulfstream Park, earning a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with a dazzling 15-1 upset victory.

The Princess Rooney offered the first automatic starting position of the year into the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3 through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series ‘Win and You're In’ program. Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the Princess Rooney winner to start in the Filly & Mare Sprint. Breeders' Cup will also provide a $10,000 travel allowance for all horses based outside of Kentucky to compete in the World Championships.

Trained by Kathleen O’Connell, the 4-year-old daughter of Circular Quay was never threatened at any time during the seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, finishing six lengths clear of Rich Mommy while completing the distance in a sharp 1:21.81 under jockey Wilmer Garcia.

“We broke really well and just tried to keep our pace all the way around. I thought a couple horses had more speed than me, but we ended up in the lead,” New Jersey-based Garcia said. “I tried to hold her down as best as I could and let her be free in the stretch.”

Stormy Embrace, who captured the $100,000 Musical Romance Stakes for Florida-bred fillies and mares at Gulfstream May 19 under Garcia, broke alertly from the starting gate and sprinted to the lead through a first-quarter in 22.79 seconds and continuing on to complete the first half-mile in 45.25, chased by Spanish Harlem. Rounding the turn into the homestretch, Stormy Embrace surged clear and cruised to her seventh career victory in 19 starts and her third straight win.

“That was great. She loves the Gulfstream track and the best thing about her is she’s kind of versatile. She can run off the pace or she can run in front,” O’Connell said. “I told [jockey] Wilmer – t he’s ridden the filly so much – to just use his judgment. Right now I think he can fly back to New Jersey without the plane.”

Defending champion Curlin’s Approval encountered considerable traffic after breaking from her rail post position and finished fourth. Rich Mommy, who finished second behind Curlin’s Approval in the Ana T. Stakes at Gulfstream June 3, rallied from far back to finish three-quarters of a length ahead of third-place finisher My Miss Tapit, who was 2 ½ lengths ahead of Curlin’s Approval.

“We first saw her when she was eight hours old and she’s been a gem. She’s been a wonder for us,” Vuskovich said. “I have to give all the credit to the man who developed her, G. W. Parrish in High Springs. He’s a consummate horseman, and, of course, Kathleen. We’re nothing compared to them. Kathleen has brought this horse along so masterfully.”

“I’ll have to talk to the owner and we’ll definitely have to change a few plans. You know me, I usually look for the easiest spots because that’s what like to do but she deserves it. [The owners] deserve it. They’re very wonderful people,” O’Connell said. “I was very happy when they came into my barn a few years ago and it’s been very productive ever since.”

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12.15.2018

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Richard Otto Stables’ Illinois homebred Sir Anthony extended his win streak to four races with a rail-skimming trip from last and held off Grade 1-winning favorite Audible in the final yards for a half-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3).
The eighth running of the 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday for 3-year-olds and up was the first of five graded-stakes worth $600,000 in purses on an 11-race program, anchored by the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the newly refurbished turf course.
Following the Harlan’s Holiday were a trio of $100,000 races for fillies and mares 3 and up – the six-furlong Sugar Swirl (G3) and one-mile Rampart (G3) on dirt and the My Charmer (G3) going one mile on the grass.
With Brian Hernandez Jr. up for trainer Anthony Mitchell, Sir Anthony ($53.80) completed the distance in 1:45.14 over a sloppy, sealed track for his second career stakes win and first in graded company.
Audible, winner of the Florida Derby (G1) and Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream over the winter, held second by a length over Apostle, followed by Audible’s Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Village King and long shots Sightforsoreeyes and Minute Madness.
“I watched a few replays of this horse and over at Hawthorne they went slow the first three-quarters in a couple of his races and he was still able to close into them and run them down,” Hernandez said. “Today, I just kind of rode him like that. I figured if I got to the three-eighths pole in good shape, he’d punch home, and he did.
“My horse is an old pro and he’s shown that he doesn’t mind being [inside],” he added. “All the pressure was on Audible and we were just going to hopefully sneak up on him, and we were able to save all the ground and get through.”
Stablemates Sightforsoreeyes and Minute Madness ran first and second, respectively, through moderate fractions of 25.19 seconds for a quarter-mile and 49.80 for the half. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano moved Audible off the rail from their inside post, where the only horse they led through six furlongs in 1:13.50 was Sir Anthony.
Castellano began asking Audible rounding the turn and swung to the far outside to launch a bid, while Hernandez stayed put with Sir Anthony to wait for an opening. It came once they straightened for home, forging a short lead and powering through the stretch as Audible fought to make up ground down the middle of the track.
Audible was making just his second start and first against graded competition since running third to eventual Triple Crown champion Justify in the Kentucky Derby (G1) May 5, using the Harlan’s Holiday as a prep for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) – North America’s richest Thoroughbred race – Jan. 26 at Gulfstream.
“He never really seemed like he fired. You hate to use the track as an excuse, but obviously it rained quite a bit and they sealed the track,” Pletcher said. “It seemed like he was just never really taking him there and handing the track the way we would have hoped … We just let Javier ride his race, but he was never really taking him. He had to kind of ask him to get into every position he tried to.”
Sir Anthony how owns five wins from 14 starts and pushed his career earnings over $200,000. It was the fourth graded-stakes win for Mitchell and first since Original Spin in the 2005 Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Lassie (G3).
“He’s been a promising young colt who took a while to figure it out, but now that he’s figured it out who knows where we go from here,” Mitchell said. “He ran a couple of races where it was like, ‘What’s going on?’ It just didn’t make sense, but ever since he won the [Bruce D. Memorial] at Arlington he’s just got progressively better and better.
“The owner, I’m so delighted for. He bred the horse and he’s been with me for a very long time and we’ve enjoyed a lot of success,” he added. “He predominately breeds Illinois-breds and we’ve done pretty good with them. But going ahead and beating the likes of Audible – that’s huge. I mean, I can’t put words to that.”
Harlan's Holiday Stakes Quotes
Trainer Anthony Mitchell (Sir Anthony): “He’s been a promising young colt who took a while to figure it out, but now that he’s figured it out who knows where we go from here.
“He ran a couple of races where it was like, ‘What’s going on?’ It just didn’t make sense, but ever since he won the [Bruce D. Memorial] at Arlington he’s just got progressively better and better. The owner, I’m so delighted for. He bred the horse and he’s been with me for a very long time and we’ve enjoyed a lot of success. He predominately breeds Illinois-breds and we’ve done pretty good with them. But going ahead and beating the likes of Audible – that’s huge. I mean, I can’t put words to that.
“I said to [jockey] Brian [Hernandez] going out, ‘Brian, believe in this horse. This horse has got two gears. One will take you there and one will put you in front if we’re good enough.’
“Looking at [the race] he was going well within himself. He’s kind of not a lazy horse but a relaxed horse. But when you ask him he’ll find it. Mentally he’s really come around and starting to prove the type of individual he is. But watching the race I was comfortable, but then going into the turn I was very comfortable. I thought we’re going to have a horse race here. And that’s what it was and Brian did a hell of a job, a superb ride.
“Audible was on the outside, but we’re either going to get it or we’re not. But he committed, the horse put his head in front and he didn’t give up.”
What’s next? “Let’s get on with this first. This is a feat in itself, I mean, a little guy like me taking on the big guys. It’s a very pleasant surprise, but me and the owner will talk about it and we’ll just see.”
“He run on an off track before, I thought maybe in fact it would help him.”
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. (Sir Anthony): “We had a great trip. We were able to work our way to the fence from the six-hole. I watched a few replays of this horse and over at Hawthorne they went slow the first three-quarters in a couple of his races and he was still able to close into them and run them down. Today, I just kind of rode him like that. I figured if I got to the three-eighths pole in good shape, he’d punch home, and he did. My horse is an old pro and he’s shown that he doesn’t mind being [inside]. All the pressure was on Audible and we were just going to hopefully sneak up on him and we were able to save all the ground and get through.”
Jockey Javier Castellano (Audible): “He kind of struggled a little bit with the track. They sealed the track at the last minute. It was not an easy track. I think it kind of cost me the race a little bit.”
“He always breaks like that. He’s not a sprinter horse. He’s more of a two-turn, come-from-behind horse. He broke with the field and that was the good thing about the post. You’re able to save all the ground on the first turn and see how it develops. They went pretty quick and he was right there, not too far back. Unfortunately, it was hard to gain ground on this track.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher (Audible): “He never really seemed like he fired. You hate to use the track as an excuse, but obviously it rained quite a bit and they sealed the track. Javier said up the backside it was pretty uneven; there were dry spots and wet spots. It seemed like he was just never really taking him there handing the track the way we would have hoped. I think the track has changed since the previous meet. They made some adjustments to it and I think it’s still settling in a little bit. I don’t think he really handled it. We didn’t know what everyone else was going to do. We just let Javier ride his race, but he was never really taking him. He had to kind of ask him to get into every position he tried to.”

12.8.2018

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Mexico’s Triple Crown champion Kukulkan extended his career undefeated streak to 14 in a row Saturday with a 10 ¼-length triumph in the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe at Gulfstream Park, providing jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. with his third winner in the five-race $600,000 Clasico Internacional del Caribe.
The Clasico del Caribe, a 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-olds, brought down the house and the curtain on a most festive event for horses based in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ortiz, who rode three winners during last year’s event, repeated the achievement Saturday with victories aboard Kukulkan, Puerto Rico’s Mishegas in the Copa Invitacional and Mexico’s Jala Jala, whom he rode to victory in last year’s Clasico del Caribe, in the Copa Confraternidad del Caribe.
“It’s great. I’m so happy to represent my country and Mexico too,” said Ortiz, a Puerto Rico native who is widely regarded as the frontrunner for this Year’s Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding jockey. “It’s a pleasure to ride these kind of horses.”
Trainer Fausto Gutierrez saddled Kukulkan for Saturday’s popular triumph a race after sending out 2017 Clasico del Caribe winner Jala Jala for a victory in the Copa Confraternidad del Caribe.
“This is like a dream because this horse has a lot of quality. We spoke a few days ago about the capacity he has. This horse has a lot of stamina and he won very easy today. He ran not in his normal style or as he has before. Irad took him and relaxed and relaxed and when he decided to go, the horse went easily,” Gutierrez said. “He’s a very professional horse, his attitude in the paddock and with everyone in the stands. He’s a real racehorse. To make history and win two back to back with these horses is a dream.”
Ortiz rated Kukulkan fifth along the backstretch as Puerto Rico’s El Salsero set a comfortable pace on fractions of 24.50 and 49.03 for the first half-mile, closely stalked by Panama’s Sol De Orion and Kukulkan’s stablemate Kandinsky. Kukulkan advanced along the backstretch to approach the pacesetters before surging between horses to take the lead on the far turn without being asked by Ortiz. The son of Point Determined romped away to win as he pleased to complete the 1 1/8 miles in 1:54.80.
“He’s unbelievable. He’s undefeated in 14 races. Horses like him make you look good,” Ortiz said.
Kukulkan had notched five grade 1 victories, including all three legs of the Mexico Triple Crown, at Hipodromo de Las Americas in Mexico City. Cuadra San Jorge’s homebred colt won his last four races by 38 ½ lengths prior to winning Saturday’s Clasico del Caribe by double digits.
Venezuela’s Bukowski rallied to finish second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Cuadra San Jorge’s Kandinsky.